Wild Sign Center Dowell, Third UFA in 2012

St. Paul, MN (Northland's NewsCenter) --- The Minnesota Wild has signed free agent center Jake Dowell to a two-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday night.

Dowell played 52 games with Dallas in the 2011-12 season, totaling two goals and five assists. Before that, he played parts of three seasons with Chicago, tallying nine goals and 17 assists in 102 games.

The Eau Claire native played his college hockey at Wisconsin in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), posting 42 goals and 48 assists while playing in 159 games during his four-year career.

Dowell's agent is Neil Sheehy, who also represents highly sought-after free agent defenseman Ryan Suter, who played with Dowell in the 2003-04 season at Wisconsin.